Central American course on natural disasters and emergency response San, José, Costa Rica, 11 November - 6 December, 1996

The School of Public Health of the University of Costa Rica is organizing a Central American Course on Natural Disasters and Emergency Response which will be offered in San Jose, Costa Rica from 11 November to 7 December 1996. Participating institutions and academic units include the School of Public Health, which is coordinating the course, the Central American School of Geology, the School of Communication Sciences, the Health Bureau and the National Emergency Commission, with the advice and support of the PAHO/WHO program on disasters. The course is targeted at professionals and academics who work in the field of disaster management. The objective of the course is to ensure that people in the field are better able to manage the various kinds of disasters the subregion is prone to by emphasizing prevention, team-work, the use of available techniques and instruments for data gathering, and the exchange of experiences at the Central American level. The course will last four weeks (180 hours), included field work on two weekends. Registration costs US$500.

For more information, contact:

Dr. William Vargas González or Dr. Rocío Sáenz Madrigal, University of Costa Rica
Tel: (506) 207-4455/207-4456.
Fax: (506) 253-6436